Presidio 10

6:50-6:57-6:37-6:41-6:07-7:25 (last 1.2): 40:39

The splits just begin to tell the story of the course at Sunday's Presidio 10. I drove into the city with S, who was mainly looking to burn off stress before her qualifying exams tomorrow, and E, who was expecting to walk the course after wrenching her knee in a skiing accident two weeks ago. My goal was a bit more specific today: run 10k that felt like sub-39, even if the hilly course wouldn't allow it.

The course began in the Presidio, a former military base in San Francisco and the gateway to the Golden Gate Bridge. The area is quite lovely, actually, and is a part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. A 10 mile race started at 8:00 (it also happened to be the CA state championship, but apparently nobody invited Meb), and about 1200 of us 10k-ers lined up half an hour later.

I was a few rows back from the line, but the path was wide enough that I was able to make my way up quickly at the gun. I had about 10 guys ahead of me, I guessed, as we started our ascent toward the bridge, with a little passing here and there. The first hill coming out of Crissy Field was steep and curvy, so I was aiming for about a 6:30 pace but not sure if that would work. Turns out that it didn't, and mile 1 came just as we hit the Golden Gate Bridge. That's not all that came, though; the 10 mile race had started 30 minutes before us but also included a 2 mile detour before the bridge, which meant that at mile 1 we collided with the back of the first race. I managed to take this in stride, but I knew I was in for a tough out-and-back 3 miles across the bridge. At least it wasn't foggy, so I could enjoy the scenery as I dodged walkers, then joggers.

At the north end of the bridge, we went down a set of stairs to cross under the bridge for the trip back. I was managing to get my pace up a bit, but still had to fight traffic for the trip back. A bright spot was glancing across the bridge and seeing E running, somewhat cautiously, but apparently not bothered by her knee.

By the time we crested the bridge the second time, things were clearing up enough that I could turn on some speed. I still wasn't sure who was in front of me, since we were right in the middle of the 10 mile race pack, but the last 2 miles or so were either gently downhill or flat along the bay. Finally, with about a quarter mile left (I guessed) the 1o k race branched off as we headed toward the finish. I saw one man taking this route, about 20 or 30 meters ahead of me, and decided to reel him in. He figured out what was going on hen I was just off his shoulder, and we both had to push it to the finish. I wasn't going to let it go, though, and managed to edge him out just before the line - 6th man overall, and 1st in 30-34.

Feeling good about the strong finish, I jogged back to find S, and ran some of the last mile in with her, cutting across the field before the end so I could cheer her in.

Honestly, I was only mildly annoyed by the crowded conditions of the 10k, and whatever annoyance I'd had melted away when we hit the post-race spread. Sitting down in the field with my friends, eating pancakes and breakfast burritos and drinking Sierra Nevada, on a sunny day at the Golden Gate? Can't beat it. And the age group swag was out of control - a (much needed) backpack, a crazy pullup contraption that will give me abs of steel, a gift certificate to Sports Basement, and (wait for it...) a fuel belt! Somebody will be going as Chewbacca next Halloween.

I don't think this quite felt like a sub-39 10k, but the all-out finish left me feeling that way. I will definitely be back for this one again, but the 10 mile race next time.